Geological Survey of the Yorkshire Coast, 425 



the sea in front, and by the land-springs in the rear ; its actual face covered 

 by a sloping talus, which is only removed at intervals, and during very short 

 periods, by high tides ; opportunities of examining the entire section, espe- 

 cially near the base, are unfrequent, even to a resident. 



That such a woody stratum does in reality exist along the Norfolk coast, 

 covered by a vast and irregular thickness of diluvium, is now, we believe, 

 satisfactorily established; but, from the circumstances alluded to, it is rarely 

 extensively displayed in continuity. During his summer excursion, the geo- 

 logist might pass beneath these cliffs, and in vain look for that subterranean 

 forest of which he has read ; or he would perceive its indications only at 

 distant intervals, and be inclined to report that there, as in the Holderness 

 cliffs, it existed only in spots or patches. Had the same geologist possessed 

 facilities for observation during a succession of years, in the stormy months, 

 in the season of wintry gales and of turbulent seas ; had he noted the in- 

 dications as from time to time they were developed, he would have ascer- 

 tained that there is scarcely a point along the whole Norfolk range of cliffs 

 where this ligneous bed has not been laid bare. 



Our limits will not permit us to follow the details of all the strata de- 

 scribed by Messrs. Young and Bird. The chalk formation, as next in suc- 

 cession, follows. We may observe, in passing, that we found some difficulty 

 in ascertaining from this work what is the dip or prevailing inclination of 

 the chalk in this district. The authors describe it as dipping, " not in one 

 direction only," but declining from the Wolds towards a common centre in 

 Holderness; that is to say, south at Flamborough, south east at Driffield, 

 and east near the Humber. This angle is in some places given as 100 ft., 

 in others less than 15 ft. in the mile. The authors here appear to have 

 mistaken the surface inclination of the chalk, fox the direction of its plane, 

 or of its beds. It is obvious that these may be very different things, and 

 by no means coincident ; because the slope of the strata may even be in 

 one direction, while the dip of the surface is in another. Here it involves 

 a manifest incongruity, where the reader is informed at p. 51., that " the dip 

 of the chalk strata" near Flamborough "is 100 ft. per mile;" and, at p. 54 

 and 55., that " it lies in horizontal or at least flat strata." 



We pass over several pages descriptive of various sandstones, oolites, 

 and shales, the attempt to identify which with corresponding strata in our 

 southern counties would occupy too much space. Hood Hill, and some 

 others of a larger size, at Hawnby and Bilsdale, are stated to resemble 

 haystacks in form. " Similar insulated elevations are found between Sil- 

 phoue Moor and Saltergate, the most remarkable of which are Langdale 

 End and Blakey Topping. These hills are not round, but oJDlong, like hay- 

 stacks. They have flat summits, and smooth, sloping sides corresponding 

 with the fronts of that range from which they are detached." {fig. 105.) 



Several instances are furnished of living toads having been fouijd within 

 solid blocks of sandstone, in the Yorkshire quarries. " We are the more 

 particular in recording these facts," the authors observe, " because some 

 modern philosophers have attempted to explode such accounts as wholly 

 fabulous." 



The vegetable fossils of the district are illustrated by three plates, but no 

 attempt has been made to give the scientific names to these figures, or to 

 those representing zoophytes, and they are all far too coarsely executed to 

 form any real acquisition to this department of natural history. Plates V. 

 and VI., containing encrinites and echinites, are wretched productions. Eight 

 plates exhibiting fossil testaceous remains follow, after which are sketches 

 of fossil saurian animals, or reptiles. 



A noble specimen of fossil crocodile was discovered in the Alum Cliff in 

 1824 ; and after great labour in taking it out, and subsequently clearing 

 away portions of shale that adhered to it, and reai'ranging the parts which 

 VOL.III. — No. 15. FF 



